[Pamphlets. American history]

23
ironed and closely imprisoned in a dungeon at Williamsburg,
were prohibited the use of pen, ink and paper, and from all intercourse, by order of the Council of Virginia, who upon examining the evidence before them, found that HAMILTON blad been
guilty of great cruelties to American prisoners at Detroit; that
lie had offered rewards for scalps, but none for prisoners, thus
inciting the Indians to murder the defenceless; that DEJEANX was
the willing instrument of his cruelty, and that La MOTI~E had
himself led scalping parties, who spared neither men, women nor
children. This imprisonment led to a notable correspondence
between WASHINGTON and JEFFERSON, the Governor of Virginia, and others, as to whether as prisoners of war, HAMILTON
and his companions were not entitled to different treatment.
They were subsequently released and paroled.
HAIILTON was afterwards, for one year, Governor of Canada,
and was then appointed Governor of Dominica, and not long after
died. While Governor of Canada he did not entirely forget his
subordinates at Detroit. On the ninth of November, 1785, he issued an order that no one should disturb MATTHEW ELLIOTT in
the possession of a lot near the dock yard by the water side,
without producing titles.
It has often been charged upon IHAIILTON that he was relentlessly cmuel, that he encouraged the taking of scalps rather than
prisoners, and that the reign of terror on our Western border was
measurably his work. That he willing, zealously and vigorously
carried out the ruthless policy of the British ministry, there can
be no doubt, and he cannot therefore have been akind or tenderhearted man; that he was wantonly cruel in the execution of that
policy, I think is not sufficiently proved.
The conquest of Illinois, and the subsequent capture of
HAIILTON constituted a turning-point in the history of the
North-WVest. By these events, and by these alone, was the northwestern boundary of the new American Union removed from the
Ohio to the Great Lakes. No where else did the Americans have
a foothold in the territory comprising these great States, and except for GEORGE ROGERS CLARE and his victories, the NorthWest would have been to-day a British Cctnactdian colony. Just
this result was anticipated by JEFFERSON, who wrote to CLAnRK
expressing his interest in the proposed expedition, and predict